The Fashionable Frequent Flyers

Most travelers who visit Namibia usually only visit the desert area in the South, thus overlooking the beautiful and lush northern part of the country. Fortunately, thanks to the incredible folks at the Gondwana Collection, Linda and I managed to get the opportunity to visit the Kongola area and stay in the amazing Namushasha River Lodge. The lodge is perched atop a cliff overlooking the Kwando River, where guests can observe elephants, hippos, crocodiles, lechwe, and other marsh/river wildlife in the area. It was a very memorable experience.

Whilst there, we were housed in a wonderful suite, which embodied minimalistic luxury. The suite was very large, with a huge living room, which had two couches and a coffee table, one bedroom with a king-size bed and some sofa chairs, a beautiful bathroom, featuring a shower and a tub (and y’all know I love me a tub), as well as a huge deck. Of all the properties I’ve stayed at around the world, I’ve never encountered a suite deck this large. Check out our Instagram reel showcasing the entire suite! And what’s more, from the suite deck, we had a beautiful view overlooking the Kwando River. We did not need to go to the main lobby area to observe wildlife; we could do it from the comfort of our room. Now, that’s real African luxury

So what excursions did we do at the Namushasha River Lodge? Well, we went on a game drive, which was awesome. This included a nice little sundowner by a lake in the national park. We also went on a couple of boat safaris, where we saw hippos, crocodiles, lechwe, various birds, and other gazelles. In fact, we got really really close to this one croc on the bank and that was really cool. Planning your excursions at this location is very important because there is a wide range of options and the lodge needs to manage the limited resources to ensure all the guests are satisfied. This is particularly so if you have a night or two scheduled for the villa (more on that in my next blog post). Upon arrival, the hotel staff will provide you with the list of excursions that are available and it’s best to plan out your entire excursion itinerary at check-in. This way, the hotel can prepare and move the necessary things around to ensure you get to do what you want. For those who want to relax at the lodge, there’s a wonderful pool where you can lay out in the Namibian sun and just chill. There’s literally something for everyone.

And, of course, I’d be remiss if I did not mention the food. The food at the lodge was spectacular. It was buffet style (which is pretty typical for safari lodges) and allowed us to eat to our heart’s content. I’m pretty sure we indulged in 3+ courses every meal. The F&B staff was fantastic and the service was stellar. In all, I would recommend the Namushasha River Lodge. It was a spectacular introduction to Northern Namibia.